The use of chum to attract fish to an area where fishermen have baited their hooks is well known. Customarily, commercial fishermen employ weighted bags or baskets containing chum, which are suspended below their boats in the fishing area. A disadvantage inherent in this procedure is that water currents may carry the less weighty baited rigs to other areas remote from the chum, thus lessening the attractive effect of the chum bag or basket. Also, the use of separate relatively large bags or baskets by individual recreational fishermen is inconvenient and uneconomical.
With the above in mind, the present invention has for its objective to improve on the prior art by providing a chum holder and dispenser which attaches directly to the baited fishing rig, so that regardless of the water current situation in a given locality the chum device will always remain with the fishing rig for maximum efficiency of operation.
Another objective is to provide a chum device of the mentioned type which may be used with equal facility for surface fishing or bottom fishing.
More particularly, the invention comprises a divided relatively small basket-like perforated holder body whose half sections are permanently hinged along one longitudinal side. Snap locking means of an easily releasable type are provided at the opposite side of the holder body to allow closing and locking of the same around a line attached float for surface fishing or a line attached sinker for bottom fishing, the perforated holder body also containing within it a suitable chum mass. Preferably, the device is constructed of a tough semi-rigid plastic which may be clear or colored, as desired. No metallic components are included. The ends of the tapered chum device have grooved line or leader guiding and seating members and cooperating locking and line holding elements.
The invention is characterized by economy of construction and manufacture. It can be applied to any fishing rig and readily removed from the rig when its use is thought not to be required. Hence, the invention is versatile as to usage.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.